Day 12 - What a Great Day!

If there was a list of various emotions on this 6 mile day, I checked all the boxes. I had anxiety as I couldn't get to sleep after we got home from the Cleveland Indians game last night.  About 12:30 this morning I finally fell asleep and woke up at 6:15.  Fine except that I wanted to run earlier because I had a "thing" that I really wanted to do this morning at 8:00 a.m.  The Boss was already up.  The run would have to wait.  First day of retirement and she's shaking and baking already because she's got a race at 8:00 a.m.  I got a kiss.  Feeling loved.  Check anxiety and love off the list.  I was loading the sound system into the Jeep and I couldn't find the speaker adapter.  Frustration.  No, wait a minute, there it is.  Relief.  Check frustration and relief off the schedule. Every thing's good.  Good to go.  Before I go, I steal one more kiss.  That love emotion thing is powerful.  (Insert devious smiley face here with a grin).

I'm being a D.J. at the mid-course location on the Andrea Rose Teodosio 5K course.

I position my speakers so the sound echoes off of the buildings on both sides of the street and the walkway 30 feet above my head between the two structures.  U2, ""It's a Beautiful Day," followed by the Rolling Stones with "Brown Sugar," "Let's Get the Party Started, (Thank you Pink), a couple of Katy Perry numbers and Robin Thicke and Pharrell with "Blurred Lines," and we are good to go for sure.  All the other feelings don't matter now. The only mission now is fun! It's time for runners to come by and its time to dance and wave and make 'em smile.  They me smile and laugh too! This is a good time to add joy as an emotional experience.  Fun and joy. Check!

Here's Irv Sugerman. Great friend and as funny a man as I have ever met.

For a solid half hour runners head south to the turnaround and then they come back north and pass my music station again.  I'm waving.  I'm dancing.  I'm having a blast. So is my friend Lee Schaffer.

Let me add one more emotion, hopeful.  I'm hoping that my health remains solid and I can continue my training program safely. Note to self: Jessie Jackson is right about this one. "Keep hope alive."

Music fills and vibrates through the air for the runners. I'm picking up good vibrations.  Smiles.  I run in spurts with some of the runners for encouragement and smiles and then back to my station.  I dance with my kindred spirits in the back of the pack. I have the good sense not to grab the microphone and launch my into my 1960's AM radio host routine, "Hey groovy guys and groovy girls, we're playing the big sounds in the Rubber City on this beautiful summer morning.  Today's music is brought to you by ...."  I would do it but to be frank, you have to know your audience.  Seventy five percent of this crowd never heard of Alan Freed, Murray the K, Cousin Brucie, and clearly don't truly understand the greatness of Elvis.  Many runners in this field think AM radio can give you arthritis if you're not careful.  I know so many people in the race that I am getting pumped for my run.  They are helping motivate me.  When the last runner comes by and when out of earshot, the sound system is put into my car and I am eastbound and down.

Meanwhile back at the finish line folks are having fun in the photo booth and receiving awards, and having great conversations and refreshments.

I gotta go do six. No post race festivities for me this time.  Because the sun is up, it's late morning, and it's hot, I go to Tallmadge Meadows and then well into the woods where I can hide from the sun.  If I was Patton yesterday in my mind, today I am Robin Hood and this is my Sherwood Forrest.  The temperature in the woods is at least ten degrees cooler.  No problem on the hills on the trail.  Pleasant surroundings.  I'm listening to the soundtrack of Spirit of the Marathon as I ease my way through the woods.  The music moves to John Mayer's album "Born and Raised." Having to negotiate avoiding mud on the wooded trail, I elect to head out of the woods on to a country road and then back to the main drag.  The road is shady. Then its out into the sun and heat for the finish of the run.  It's just past noon and I realize, I got a whole day into six hours.  The Boss would be proud.  That's her standard operating procedure.  You know, twelve pounds in an eight pound can.  Fit 25 hours into 24.  Somehow it all makes sense,  When I started in April I weighed 238 or 239 depending on the time of day. Now Don Pardo, make the call from the TV studio in the sky, "Ladies and gentlemen, (Drum roll please), Mr; Hailer now weighs 228.3 pounds.  I think I figured it out. "Eat less.  Move around more." Let me add one more emotion, feeling an accomplishment. Check!

Finally, a series of emotions from this one site.  The memorial is in remembrance of today's race honoree at the Meadows.

The site reminds me of my son Paul Tyler who's memory I will always carry with me as I will our still born son Phillip Gerard.  I find peace and understanding of life in this spot.  I find motivation to live the best life I can and to most of all be happy because even if we live to 100, its's still such a short time on this earth. So I laughed today, a lot.  I smiled, a lot. I danced, a lot.  I did some thinking and was able to appreciate the awesomeness of being alive and sharing great fun experiences with friends and spreading good vibrations through music, dance, and happiness.  I in turn learned from and was motivated by my friends and family.  Today was a big day.  What a great day! I got 13 miles tomorrow.  Bring them on!!!